Monotype March: Experimenting with Spontaneous Printmaking

For Month 3 of my 12 Months of Printmaking project, I tried monotype printing. I'll admit it was a slow month to get started, even though the month itself flew by. But a goal's a goal, so I managed to squeeze in some creative time to play with monotype printmaking.

Monotype turned out to be one of the simplest techniques I've tried so far in terms of equipment and one of the most freeing in terms of process. Here's what you need, how it works and what I learned.

What You Need

• A smooth, non-porous surface (I used a metal sheet, but a tray, picture frame glass, or even a takeaway container lid would all work)

• Ink (or paint, if that's what you have to hand)

• A roller (brayer) or a piece of cardboard to spread the ink

• Paper

• Something to draw with - a pencil, a stick, your fingers, or whatever's nearby (I actually started with a hair grip)

• A cloth or rag

Unlike a lot of printmaking techniques, monotype doesn't need a press, a needle or really any specialist tools. You just need a flat surface, ink or paint and something to make marks with. It's actually a great printmaking technique to try with children because of this!

How to Try Monotype Printing

1. Ink your plate. Roll or spread ink out across your smooth surface.

2. Remove and add. Take some ink away then perhaps add some back, then take a bit more away again. This is the heart of monotype; just experimenting with different ways of adding and removing ink until you're happy with how it looks. Try different tools for this stage: a rag, a brush handle, your fingers.

3. Make your marks. Once you're happy with your inked plate, this is where drawing into it (so scratching back through the ink, or adding texture) creates the image that'll transfer to paper.

4. Print. Place your paper down over the inked plate, then burnish it either with your hands, the back of a spoon or a proper baren if you have one. Burnishing is how you transfer the ink onto the paper. Peel back to reveal your print.

What I Learned

I've been trying to be a bit more expressive and spontaneous in my mark-making lately; monotype is perfect for that as it's just you responding to the ink in the moment. I tried using a rag to create a cloud effect and it certainly didn't turn out quite how I imagined. But I'm sharing it anyway, imperfections and all, because that's genuinely where learning happens. I do believe you have to embrace art that doesn't quite work as still being valuable to your practice. In fact, it may even be more valuable to your practice than an artwork that turned out exactly how you envisioned.

If you've never tried printmaking because it feels too technical or equipment-heavy, monotype is a great place to start. All you really need is something flat, something inky and, yes, again, that willingness to experiment.

Fancy trying printmaking with some guidance? I run beginner-friendly linocut workshops across Essex -see upcoming dates.

Natasha Davis Art

Linocut prints and workshops, Essex, UK.

contact natasha:

hello@natashadavisart.co.uk

+44 7379 985 479

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